A Phone Call
by Seraph05
Summary: “Michael?” Sara called out again but the line was dead. Possible spoilers for early season 2 but not many. ONESHOT MichaelSara. Please read enjoy and review.


A Phone Call.

Michael staggered into the dark room, small patches of light moving across his body as he walked, struggling to lift his feet under the heavy burden on his heart and mind. It was a slow pace he took not focusing on the ground before him but on other troubling matters. The task set before him, he knew, would be all at once simple and yet painfully difficult. The very impact of the thought crushed him, his feet scraping the wooden floor boards, as he made his way feebly towards the wall on the other side of the room. He was completely torn by her and it was morbidly amusing to remember not long ago he thought no woman could ever wound him over such a small matter as a phone call. It wasn't arrogance that caused this notion, he recalled, but rather the expectation of a loveless life on the run. A small price to pay for the man that had given his life to Michael already. His own voice whispered in his head, a question so familiar now:

"But what about her? What did she do to deserve this?...all this pain…all this suffering"

He slumped against the dusty far wall having finally reached it clutching a mobile in one pale hand. He deeply longed to hear her voice again but with it he knew an irrevocable amount of misery would be thrust on him. What she would say, he didn't want to speculate but he knew the time was drawing near when he would have to endure it. How would she react? Would she persecute him? Would she listen? Or worse…would she hate him more? Already he could feel a lump forming in his throat as he tried to come to terms with the fact that she overdosed, she nearly died…because of him. He heard his dry choke echo through the empty space as he forced back the tears. He was the reason she might spend the better part of her youth rotting in a cold and lonely cell. His free fist clenched as he turned so his head was resting downcast on the wall. This was the reason he had to call her, he reminded himself as the crippling guilt griped him. And he knew he had to do it soon, there was no time for hesitation and apprehension. He and his brother had to keep moving, always.

He rested his fist on the wall and it slid open to flatten against the deteriorating plaster. Of all the people hurt because of him, through neglect or wilful harm it was her betrayed eyes that haunted him. He remembered how much sadness he endured whenever he saw another suffering throughout his life. He had tried to right every wrong he could, he wasn't a saint but others pain became his own. And now he was the one suffering for the two of them. He lifted the phone to his face; the buttons lit up as he pressed the numbers and the light glistened on the dampness around his eyes. He brought it to his ear not moving anything other than his arm, his whole body bracing to hear her voice. The tone hummed monotonously in his ear for only a moment before the click of someone picking up sounded.

"Hello" her voice issued through the receiver, her greeting causal and light as it had been short weeks before his final escape.

"Sara…" he whispered softly, finding it hard to breathe and then continued deciding the quicker it was over the better "It's me"

"What do you want?" her tone turned cold as she replied quickly and unfeelingly. He had suspected that this might be her reaction, yet he was still surprised at how much it hurt to hear.

"I don't have time to talk and there's every chance they're listening to this call right now" his voice was ragged and pained but he continued "but there's a lot I want to say…" heart aching he begged desperately, praying she would hear him out "Please don't hang up on me"

"I don't…I don't want to talk to you" she said with surprise, unmoved.

"I heard about…I heard about what happened" he said confronting her overdose as the sadness bore into him, he turned still leaning on the wall as if in physical pain, eyes briefly closed tight. "I want you to know that…I want you to know how sorry I am…" his voice cracked with misery as he tried to carry on speaking "for everything"

"Sorry's not going to do me a whole lot of good with what I'm up against right now" her retort came back accusingly callous. Her curtness was ironically helpful as he was reminded of what else he had to say.

"Listen…anyone with any ties to me or my brother is in danger now" he told her moving away from the wall weakly towards a strip of light.

"I have no ties to you and your brother anymore" her voice was less cold now but remained unobtrusive. It meant something; he thought to himself falling apart a little more inside, what was between us couldn't have been extinguished in such a short time. She was so important to him and yet here she was discounting any lasting effect of their time spent together. No matter how rocky or disjointed, tested and beaten their relationship was he knew it meant more than she was making of it. However much his hope wavered at this point her safety was still his top priority, even if she didn't care he did and he would never let them harm her. He wrapped his free arm tightly around his chest to constrict the pain and spoke again, tears in his voice.

"There is a way I can protect you" he swallowed hard at the tenderness of his proposal "It's already in your possession"

"What are you talking about?" she announced bewildered and slightly annoyed at the cryptic reply he'd given her. He had finally done all that was required to protect her and apologised as well which was all he had intended to achieve. However now he had to tell her one more thing, he had to be honest like he had always wished to be.

"It was real, Sara. You and me." he stated his husky voice rough but gentle, then he nodded assuredly to himself and to her, continuing with biting honesty "…It's real"

He waited a moment noting her prolonged silence but not wanting to talk anymore, drained and knowing he had to go back to the others he hung up in spite of hearing her say his name as the mobile snapped shut. He breathed deeply trying to compose himself and rid himself of the gloom that hung conspicuously over his head.

Many miles away Sara stood bewildered on the sidewalk as her heart finally moved for him sadly, far too late. All those days of listing his wrongdoings again and again towards her out loud like a mantra were sucked up in her sudden need to hear him go on. To hear him say something more or answer one of those many questions she'd locked away in her heart of hearts since she'd met him. She wanted to hear his voice.

"Michael?" she called out again but the line was dead.


End file.
